A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has issued a strong caution to the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, urging it to respect the will of the people and avoid any attempts to manipulate electoral results.
He emphasized that any such attempt could have dire consequences for the nation.
In an interview with JoySports’ Atsu Tamakloe, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe stated, “In these times, any tricks by the Electoral Commission to alter the results will lead this country into a serious disaster. Young people must be vigilant and ensure this does not happen, as they stand to lose the most.”
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe also expressed skepticism about the NPP’s chances in the upcoming December polls. He specifically questioned the capability of the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and his running mate, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, to secure a genuine victory.
“I personally do not believe that the Bawumia-Opoku Prempeh ticket can win a genuine election in this country,” he remarked.
Further, he raised concerns about the selection process of Dr. Bawumiaâs running mate, suggesting that Dr. Bawumia was not given the autonomy to choose his own partner for the election.
“I predicted earlier that Bawumia would not have a free hand to pick his running mate, and that’s exactly what happened. His running mate was selected for him, which could hinder their synergy,” he said.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe also criticized the legislative efforts of some Members of Parliament to enforce their rights to use sirens and drive without adhering to speed limits, calling it a worrying trend.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Jean Mensa, has reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that the December 2024 elections accurately reflect the will of the people, emphasizing that there will be no rigging to favor any political party.
In a recent briefing to Parliament, Mrs Mensa outlined the ECâs processes for securing election integrity.
She detailed that the electoral body employs a manual system for result transmission, where results are transferred from polling stations across the country to the EC headquarters in Accra.
According to Mrs Mensa, each polling station has its own set of results, which are also duplicated for the respective party agents present. This system, she explained, makes any tampering or alteration at the central level nearly impossible.
âI would like to assure you that whatever comes from the ground, from the polling stations where all the agents of the parties are present, goes to the constituency collation centers where the agents are also present,â Mensa said.
âA tabulation is done in their presence and then it goes to the regional collation centers, followed by the national level. It is not transmitted electronically; rather, it involves hard copies of documents.â
She emphasized that the results, known as pink sheets, are scanned and sent via fax and email, ensuring that parties have access to their copies in real-time to verify the results.
âSo I would like to assure you that there is absolutely no way the commission can change anything at the top because the documentation comes directly from the ground and the parties have copies,â Mensa added.
Mrs Mensa also stressed the ECâs dedication to transparency throughout the election process, stating that from registration to result declaration, the Commission will operate with the utmost transparency, fairness, and integrity.
“From the registration to the declaration, our processes are embedded with one key ingredient: transparency. We will continue to uphold transparency, fairness, and integrity as our guiding principles,â she concluded.
